Smaller is still something.

As President Obama was announcing the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, U.S. soldiers were sealing a village in the north while Iraqi soldiers raided the houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents. As previously stated in my other post, although tens of thousands of troops have exited the country, 50,000 U.S. troops will remain until the end of the year to assist the Iraqi army. In a change-of-command ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces outside Baghdad that the American military now uses as its headquarters, officials warned of a tough road head as the United States moves into the final phase of this seven and a half year war. The largest concern is that of the Iraqi leaders' continuing bickering over the formation of a new government, a conflict that could add fuel to the insurgency fire. According to Vice-President Biden, the U.S. troops will be as combat ready as any other forces in the military. Of those who remain, 10% are special forces (roughly 4,500) who will conduct raids and capture terrorists.

So as I am now going to make custom, I will use this paragraph to state my opinions following the first paragraph containing facts. My biggest concern is the state of the Iraqi government, or better yet, the lackthereof. For Obama to state that our responsibility's are complete and that now is an okay time to withdraw seems a little absurd. To upset a country's government by deposing their leader, however brutal, and then leaving that country without any form of government is blatantly irresponsible. To leave a group of political workers and a smaller force of American troops in a politically unstable country is equally irresponsible. Furthermore, to say that troops that are authorized to raid are not combat troops seems a little far-fetched. With operations like the village raid in Hawija, troops are most likely going to involved in combat. Thus, making them combat troops. Their mission statement may be different, but the effect is the same. Obama has declared that the operation is finished, when it appears to have just gotten smaller. IN my opinion, combat won't officially be over until everyone is out.